First two graphs of your story.

An executive with El Paso, Texas-based Western Refining said the company has put its Yorktown, Va., refinery on the market.

The timetable for a planned new refinery in Ecuador’s Manabi province has not been changed, the country’s oil and mines ministry said this week.

The announcement was in response to local press reports that said Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA may alter its investment in the project due to the drop in crude prices.

During test-run preparations last week at the Dung Quat refinery in Vietnam, strong waves damaged an offshore cargo hose that was loading diesel fuel into the 148,000 b/d facility.

Officials have not specified how much diesel fuel was spilled but indicated to news media the spill was not major and occurred off Vietnam’s central coast.

Chinese President Hu Jintao signed off on 25-year deal to help expand Costa Rica’s refinery on the Caribbean coast in Moin. China National Petroleum (CNPC) and Costa Rica’s state-run Refinadora Costarricense de Petroleo (Recope) will split the $1 billion cost for the project, which could be completed in 2013.

PetroChina, Qatar and Shell released details on their planned oil refinery and petrochemical facility in China.

Israel’s Oil Refineries reported that its consolidated net income broke even in the third quarter, compared to earnings of $18 million in the same quarter 2007.

Chinese automaker SAIC Motor Corp. will form a venture to invest 2 billion yuan (U.S. $293 million) to develop clean cars.

China plans to reform its fuel price and tax policies to allow for more price changes and company control when crude is less than $130/bbl.

Petrobras could delay a planned expansion of the Okinawa, Japan, refinery that it is the majority owner of due to the decline in the price of crude and the current financial crisis.

Israel’s Delek Group lost NIS 371 million (U.S. $92.7 million) in the first nine months of 2008, compared to earnings of NIS 1 billion (U.S. $250 million) in the same period 2007.

Christophe de Margerie, CEO of Total, said that the company remains committed to building a 400,000 b/d oil refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia despite the worsening of the global economy.

Zambia could upgrade its Indeni refinery to increase its fuel output in order to meet increased demand in the landlocked African country.

Engen of South Africa said its 125,000 b/d refinery in Durban may restart in about six weeks, or about mid-January 2008.

With financial assistance from the U.S. government uncertain, struggling U.S. automaker Ford said it is exploring another way to generate cash: the possible sale of its Swedish unit Volvo.

Ireland’s government intends to present a plan to increase the number of electric vehicles in the country to 10% by 2020.

The push for electric vehicles is one of the initiatives introduced by Ireland’s Energy Minister Eamon Ryan, to reduce Ireland’s €6 billion import costs by 20% by 2020.

PKN Orlen of Poland has expressed interest in establishing a partnership with a Middle Eastern company.

Russian state integrated oil company Rosneft reported Monday third quarter earnings of $3.5 billion, up 80% from the same quarter 2007.

Shell Global Solutions announced this week it has acquired Canada and China-based Cansolv Technologies, a developer of scrubbing technologies for capture of CO2 and other industrial gas emissions.

Germany’s Bayernoil said this week that a new 2.4 million tonne per year mild hydrocracker at its 120,000 b/d Neustadt refinery will commence operations later this month.